SYS TaskMaster 1800+ SE

The SYS TaskMaster 1800+ SE is the only PC in this roundup to include an LCD monitor. The silver-and-beige 15-inch monitor doesn't match the color of the off-white system unit, but that's a small issue for getting a flat-panel display at this price. Apart from that, the system is mediocre. It has only one optical drive (CD-RW), so there's no option for watching DVDs. There are no FireWire ports, and the only two USB ports are USB 1.1, not the much faster USB 2.0. Instead of Microsoft Works Suite, Sys Technology bundles WordPerfect. The Microsoft Internet keyboard has ten extra multimedia and Web-browsing buttons, but with its grays and a different shade of off-white from the rest of the system, it adds yet more hues to the set. Performance test scores were right in the middle of the group.

Photos: () MS Paint is your only option, and you must make do with rear-mounted USB ports.

UPGRADABILITY
() The 1800+ SE has one free drive bay, one free slot (another is obscured), two rear-mounted USB 1.1 jacks, and no FireWire port. But the case and slot covers are tool-free.

PERFORMANCE(On a 50-point scale)
Business: 25.0
Multimedia: 26.4

SUPPORT
The company's warranty includes three years on parts and five years on labor. The CPU and memory are covered for six years. On-site service and 24/7 tech support are included for the first year; hours thereafter are noon-8:30 eastern time, daily.

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Bill Howard is the editor of TechnoRide.com, the car site for tech fans, and writes a column on car technology for PC Magazine each issue. He is also a contributing editor of PC Magazine.
Bill's articles on PCs, notebooks, and printers have been cited five times in the annual Computer Press Association Awards. He was named as one of the industry's ten most influential journalists from 1997 to 2000 by Marketing Computers and is a frequent commentator on TV news and business shows as well...
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